As part of the Words In The Square 175th anniversary celebrations we were joined by Ned Beauman, Philippa Gregory, Deborah Levy, John O' Farrell, Nikesh Shukla and Sara Wheeler in a hugely entertaining "Desert Island Books" session chaired by Tom Sutcliffe.
During a fascinating hour the panel was asked to nominate books in different categories that they would take with them as castaways on a desert island.
The categories were:
My Favourite Childhood Read
The Book that Most Influenced Me
My Guilty Reading Pleasure
A Former Favourite I Won't Be Bringing to the Desert Island
An audience vote then picked the following category winners:
- Favourite Childhood Read: “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson-Burnett (nominated by Deborah Levy)
- The Book That Most Influenced Me: “A Room of One’s Own” – Virginia Woolf (nominated by Philippa Gregory)
- Guilty Pleasure: “These Old Shades” by Georgette Heyer (nominated by Philippa Gregory)
- Former Favourite: “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell (nominated by Philippa Gregory); joint winner with “1984” by George Orwell (nominated by John O'Farrell)
Recommended Recent Reads
Each member of the panel also selected their recent book recommendations:
- “Family Life” by Akhil Sharma (chosen by Nikesh Shukla)
- “Preparation for the Next Life” by Atticus Lish (chosen by Ned Beauman)
- “Simple Gifts” by Joanne Greenberg (chosen by Philippa Gregory)
- “Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter (chosen by John O’Farrell)
- “The Lure of The North” by The London Library/Pushkin Press (chosen by Sara Wheeler)
- “Outline" by Rachel Cusk (chosen by Deborah Levy)
PANEL MEMBERS' INDIVIDUAL SHORTLISTS
Ned Beauman
- Favourite Childhood Read: “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson
- The Books That Most Influenced Me: “Permutation City” by Greg Egan
- Guilty Pleasure: “Blood House” by David Gatward (or p310-316 of any serial killer novel)
- Former favourite: “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway
- Recommended recent books: “Preparation for the Next Life” by Atticus Lish
Philippa Gregory
- Favourite Childhood Reads: “Stalky & Co” by Rudyard Kipling
- The Books That Most Influenced Me: “A Room of One’s Own” – Virginia Woolf
- Guilty Pleasure: “These Old Shades” by Georgette Heyer
- Former favourite: “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell
- Recommended recent books: “Simple Gifts” by Joanne Greenberg
Deborah Levy
- Favourite Childhood Reads: “The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson-Burnett
- The Books That Most Influenced Me: “The Lover” by Marguerite Duras
- Guilty Pleasure: “Chéri” or any novel by Colette
- Former favourite: “Women In Love” by DH Lawrence
- Recommended recent books: “Outline” by Rachel Cusk
John O'Farrell
- Favourite Childhood Reads: “Down with Skool” by Geoffrey Willans
- The Books That Most Influenced Me: “Three Men in a Boat” by Jerome K Jerome
- Guilty Pleasure: “Frank Skinner” by Frank Skinner
- Former favourite: “1984” by George Orwell
- Recommended recent books: “Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter
Nikesh Shukla
- Favourite Childhood Reads: Spiderman Comics
- The Books That Most Influenced Me: “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” By Junot Diaz
- Guilty Pleasure: “Modern Romance” by Aziz Ansari, Eric Klinenberg
- Former favourite: “The scam poetry anthology where as a 13 year old Nikesh Shukla had his first poem published alongside 1000 others who had also paid £45 per entry”
- Recommended recent books: “Family Life” by Akhil Sharma
Sara Wheeler
- Favourite Childhood Reads: “Spring & Fall” from Poems, by Gerard Manley Hopkins
- The Books That Most Influenced Me: “The Worst Journey in the World” by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
- Guilty Pleasure: Any novel by Françoise Sagan
- Former favourite: “Seven Pillars of Wisdom” by TE Lawrence
- Recommended recent books: “The Lure of The North” edited by The London Library/Pushkin Press
